Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

Sign In Apply for Membership

Categories

What are your career goals?

NYC12345NYC12345 Alum Inactive Sage
edited August 2015 in General 1654 karma
I know a similar thread was created about which school is your dream school, but I thought I would create one about interests in the field of law. Which practice groups are you interested in? I guess I'll go first. I'm interested in litigation and transactional law.
@nicole.hopkins
@jyang72
@Pacifico
@eugene.chong
@gs556
@sockstcat
@DumbHollywoodActor
Show Related Discussions
«1

Comments

  • eugene.chongeugene.chong Free Trial Member
    62 karma
    Honestly, pretty vague at the moment. I am shooting to take the LSAT in December with an eye towards applying for admittance during the fall of 2017. I spend a couple hours most days prepping for the test, but law school isn't a path I've committed to yet. At this point, taking the LSAT is a matter of expanding my options down the road while I have the free time afforded by an undemanding, though full-time, job.

    Pursuant to that, I haven't put very much thought into what area of law specifically I would be interested in. I studied history with a focus on constitutional law, so I have some comfort and interest in the field. Undergrad liberal arts legal studies are vastly different from law school, though, so it's a bit of a false analogy. I suppose I am most interested in constitutional law at the moment, because that's what I know.

    I probably won't do much research into it until after I sit for the exam.
  • ddakjikingddakjiking Inactive ⭐
    2116 karma
    Not one of those tagged but I'm bored this morning.
    I'm interested in real estate law and eventually transitioning into real estate development/management and opening up my own company.
  • NYC12345NYC12345 Alum Inactive Sage
    1654 karma
    @ddakjiking
    I want to hear from everyone. I just tagged people to get the post going.
  • nicole.hopkinsnicole.hopkins Inactive Sage Inactive ⭐
    7965 karma
    @ddakjiking said:
    I'm interested in real estate law and eventually transitioning into real estate development/management and opening up my own company.
    Get your CRE brokers' license ... word is that RE attorneys who can get commissions make $$ !
  • nicole.hopkinsnicole.hopkins Inactive Sage Inactive ⭐
    7965 karma
    I'm pretty much exclusively interested in litigation and goal is to first chair as many trials as possible. I'm not a feminist but it would be gratifying to break that glass ceiling. I'm interested in oil & gas litigation as a specialty but would also probably like personal injury/malpractice and class action. O&G would be a great specialty for North Texas as we've got a healthy mix of the Big Guys (Exxon, Halliburton) and the Little Guys (ranchers with a couple of nodding donkeys). Anything where I could occasionally wear a hard hat and steel toed boots one day and a power suit in kitten heels the next would be amazing.
  • nicole.hopkinsnicole.hopkins Inactive Sage Inactive ⭐
    7965 karma
    @ddakjiking said:
    Not one of those tagged but I'm bored this morning.
    We still love you. Don't cry.
  • PacificoPacifico Alum Inactive ⭐
    8021 karma
    Law school is free for me so I'm down for whatever... I'm sure my priorities and interests will be somewhat different in four years than they are now so I'm just going to see where the journey take me...
  • DumbHollywoodActorDumbHollywoodActor Alum Inactive ⭐
    7468 karma
    Probably trial law, given its theatricality, but I want to be flexible to the supply and demand of legal job force. Like @eugene.chong, I'm more focused on the more urgent goal of the LSAT. Once I've cleared that hurdle, I'll start researching possible niches I might be right for.
  • littlesnickerslittlesnickers Member Inactive Sage
    271 karma
    I'm not sure! I hope to have a better idea by the time I'm done!

    In my fantasy, I am in-house counsel at a fun and socially responsible company that gives me great benefits and a flexible schedule. On the side, I represent children and single parents in custody disputes.

    I studied environmental, communication, and criminal law in undergrad but I'm not committed to any one of those.
  • kittyahmedkittyahmed Free Trial Member
    58 karma
    I want to work in high-conflict divorce and family court issues, but am not sure if law school will end up being financially feasible for me. We'll see how the next LSAT scores come out... @Pacifico how are you avoiding the cost of law school??
  • ramster1ramster1 Member
    109 karma
    Transactional (contracts and negotiations) work with a focus on IP and/or environmental issues. My background is science :)
  • ddakjikingddakjiking Inactive ⭐
    2116 karma
    @nicole.hopkins said:
    Get your CRE brokers' license ... word is that RE attorneys who can get commissions make $$ !
    Yup! In CA, you can sit in for the brokers exam once you have 2 years worth of real estate law-related experience.
  • ttranc83ttranc83 Alum Member
    98 karma
    I am leaning towards health advocacy and or government benefits. I also have an interest in bankruptcy and transactional law.
  • nye8870nye8870 Alum ⭐
    1749 karma
    Guardian Ad Litem
  • AlejandroAlejandro Member Inactive ⭐
    2424 karma
    Protector of the realm, king of the Andals, and king of the Meereen.
  • eugene.chongeugene.chong Free Trial Member
    62 karma
    Taking a step back, can I ask how most of you became interested in these fields?
  • NYC12345NYC12345 Alum Inactive Sage
    1654 karma
    I have always been fascinated with corporate transactions, such as mergers and acquisitions, and litigating a case seems very interesting and exciting. I will decide on a career path after taking many law school classes in both fields.
  • nicole.hopkinsnicole.hopkins Inactive Sage Inactive ⭐
    7965 karma
    @eugene.chong said:
    can I ask how most of you became interested in these fields?
    I'm a born trial lawyer. And it's good to have a specialty. I've been interested in O&G for a few years and it would be a good niche in Texas. But I'd also enjoy taking on some PI/malpractice cases on a contingency basis in private practice eventually, though maybe at a larger firm as well.
  • ddakjikingddakjiking Inactive ⭐
    2116 karma
    @eugene.chong said:
    Taking a step back, can I ask how most of you became interested in these fields?
    My family invests heavily in CRE so I suppose me wanting to specialize in the law side of this field is inevitable. :P
  • nicole.hopkinsnicole.hopkins Inactive Sage Inactive ⭐
    7965 karma
    @ddakjiking i work in CRE now and I know how much brokers/investors make ... When the market is good, it's really good! And CRE is always in some kind of demand (and CRE atty's therefore as well).
  • PacificoPacifico Alum Inactive ⭐
    8021 karma
    @kittyahmed said:
    @Pacifico how are you avoiding the cost of law school??
    Post 9/11 GI Bill
  • ENTJENTJ Alum Inactive ⭐
    3658 karma
    http://www.justice.gov/crt/about/app/
  • Matt1234567Matt1234567 Inactive ⭐
    1294 karma
    Definitely work for the prosecutors office. I want to be in court as much as possible.
  • the_force_is_strong_with_this_onethe_force_is_strong_with_this_one Alum Member
    57 karma
    Immigration law. I went through the immigration process with my wife who is from Spain and we had a rough go of it. Very long story which I won't get into, but it got me interested in immigration law. I am 39 years old so I'm starting late but look forward to a long career.
  • ttranc83ttranc83 Alum Member
    edited August 2015 98 karma
    My last two previous employers were legal aids and that is where my interests come from for health law and government benefits as well as having to personally deal with a medical condition of my own. I love helping others who are in need and cannot afford legal services elsewhere whether it be answering a question or filling out paperwork. Yes, cue in sappy moment. LOL. With bankruptcy law, my interest came about because of having to actually file for BK myself. Yup, unfortunately. Transactional law has always sounded interesting and I definitely would love to learn about it and dabble in it.
  • nye8870nye8870 Alum ⭐
    1749 karma
    No worries @ttranc83 Donald Trump filed (how many times?) and he might become POTUS...
  • ttranc83ttranc83 Alum Member
    edited August 2015 98 karma
    I'm not quite sure how that makes me feel....yikes! I know I'm not very reassured at the thought. Lol. I've been interested in possibly moving to Canada in the future for some time....I think I would seriously move if Trump became president (scary!). @nye8870
  • Accounts PlayableAccounts Playable Live Sage ⭐
    3107 karma
    I just took my last part of the CPA exam, and I think I passed. I'll probably end up doing tax law or estate planning or elderly law. I have an interest in finance, so going into corporate law is an option as well (I plan on getting a CFA and ABV at some point too). My dream job would be a judge though (like Federal judge); it's just too bad that I don't have the stomach for politics.
  • kittyahmedkittyahmed Free Trial Member
    58 karma
    I decided on high-conflict divorce after watching my boyfriend's disastrous divorce/custody battle with an unstable ex-wife play out across two continents. (I never had any interest in law before that). I decided that 1. courts overall do not have enough psychological training to deal with personality disorders and 2. most of those in such relationships completely underestimate the dangers of divorcing disordered people. I'm also disturbed by the expense of representation in family law but have found that the free clinics in the courthouses (at least for my BF) either did not or could not help with the kind of help anyone in these cases needs. I'm not sure if I will eventually work in policy or in representation (see above question on affording law school) but if I represent people, my goal is to make it as affordable as possible for people, hence the requirement that I not carry debt...
  • garvelo89garvelo89 Member
    35 karma
    I am looking to get into Real Estate law here in Florida :)
  • msizzleeemsizzleee Alum Member
    183 karma
    I'm interested in transactional/corporate law in the entertainment or sports sector. Those are just two of the areas I'm passionate about but I'm also very interested in IP as it relates to marketing and advertising. I know that getting into the entertainment/sports area is difficult as they're both very specific niches, though... That's why I'm worried that my options on where to go for law school are limited. Ack!
  • bruno.dalsantobruno.dalsanto Alum Member
    94 karma
    Donald Trump will never ever become POTUS that's a easy inference to make!
  • TJordan7TJordan7 Alum Member
    73 karma
    Sports and Entertainment law for me! It's the best of both worlds so I took a liking to it. I am scheduled for the December test so I have a long way to go before I am going to put too much thought into the future. Real estate law is also something that peaks my interest!
  • ENTJENTJ Alum Inactive ⭐
    3658 karma
    I plan on being the King Beyond the Wall. Someone has to deal with them white-walkers...
  • MConner16MConner16 Member
    78 karma
    Ideally I would love to focus on adoption law. My undergrad was in Early Childhood Education, I wanted to help children. Then in the school system all my time and focus had to be on getting students prepared for standardized testing. If at the end of this long journey to J.D. I'm able to help just one family it'd be worth it.
  • nicole.hopkinsnicole.hopkins Inactive Sage Inactive ⭐
    7965 karma
    @ENTJ said:
    I plan on being the King Beyond the Wall.
    Power is power.
  • ENTJENTJ Alum Inactive ⭐
    3658 karma
    @nicole.hopkins You darn tootin' Khaleesi.
  • dinobunnydinobunny Alum Member
    edited August 2015 69 karma
    Chief Justice :)
  • CrazyAmbitiousCrazyAmbitious Alum Member
    44 karma
    @nye8870 very cool that you wanna do the guardian ad litem ! I am currently a G.A.L (volunterer) down here in Florida and I must say, the system needs all the help it can get ! So power to you for going that route!

    @ENTJ yesss, forget law school. I'm gonna fly dragons ♡ oh G.o.T. why must we be tortured every year =(

    Now to answer the actual topic here lol I have hit a wall recently and am taking a break from studies and the law school idea for the moment... the financial aspect and how my future looks 10 years from now has me revalutating things a bit.. such as my desire to have a family and my emotional happiness lol I'm just around the corner from 25 so I kinda feel like I may just be pressurin myself to get something done (professional degree) bc I'm running out of time. So till then, I'm focusing on my fiction writing. Writing a book is at the top of my bucket list lol
    However, if I go all in for law I would probably go into the IP aspect (copyright or tradmark) if not that I would do criminal law, I've always been drawn to it but obviously law school may turn things upside down and I end up in a branch of law that I had never even considered lol
  • nye8870nye8870 Alum ⭐
    1749 karma
    Interesting @CrazyAmbitious . According to my research here in Illinois, in order to serve as a G.A.L. you must be a lawyer. I have heard that elsewhere that is not the case. I do know that as a lawyer there are steps one can take to ensure/encourage payment from parents before your recommendations are considered. Good luck with your book!
  • Nanchito-1-1Nanchito-1-1 Alum Member
    1762 karma
    Mental Hygiene. I interned as an undergrad and met some interesting people.
  • SummerMichalSummerMichal Free Trial Member
    37 karma
    Healthcare law. Where my emphasis will land, I don't know, but it's a big field and growing. I'm interested in mental health law, like involuntary commitment and the insanity defense, and also in bioethics.
  • mackenzie_fitzgeraldmackenzie_fitzgerald Alum Member
    74 karma
    I would like to do criminal law and eventually work up to the point where I can solely represent women who are being charged with solicitation of prostitution. I took a human trafficking class during my undergrad and it got me really interested on the subject matter (note: I realize not all prostituted women have been trafficked). These women are extremely vulnerable and totally stigmatized by society. As cheesy and cliche as it may sound, I would like to fight for them as I believe in many situations where they are being charged as criminals they are actually the victim. What do you guys think about this? Is it a realistic goal? Also are there any big law firms that do similar things?
  • ENTJENTJ Alum Inactive ⭐
    3658 karma
    @mackenzie_fitzgerald It's good to think in aspirational terms. Keep optimistic and focused. I think that's an incredible issue to be dedicated to. Honestly, it doesn't matter what we think. It matters what you think and what you see yourself doing. Keep us posted. I hope you pursue it.
  • PacificoPacifico Alum Inactive ⭐
    edited August 2015 8021 karma
    @mackenzie_fitzgerald On the small, individual level I can't imagine any big law firms do this. There just isn't the money to be made which is what fuels 90+% of big law IMO. If you're looking to do this on a broader human rights scale then working for an NGO or similar type of organization would probably be your best bet. Keep in mind that lots of people want these similar human rights type of positions and the ones that people dream about are almost all unicorn jobs. However, if you are intent on big law for some other reason, you could target a few firms that have an international or public interest arm that leans towards your area of interest, pay your dues there and then lateral out to a client org.

    If you want to do this more quickly and have an impact on individuals more directly I'd say your best bet is to go the Deputy/Assistant DA or Public Defender route. The former can help target the right individuals and influence policy on prostitution while the latter can help defend those you want to champion.
  • mackenzie_fitzgeraldmackenzie_fitzgerald Alum Member
    74 karma
    Good advice, thanks!
  • nicole.hopkinsnicole.hopkins Inactive Sage Inactive ⭐
    7965 karma
    @"mackenzie_fitzgerald" said:
    Good advice, thanks!
    I asked an attorney about this ... she said those cases are handled almost exclusively by the Public Defender's office. She works for Legal Aid and has also worked for PD.
  • CrazyAmbitiousCrazyAmbitious Alum Member
    44 karma
    @nye8870 ya I'm in florida and here you can volunteer as a G.A.L. however, the G.A.L. program has attorneys that represent the volunteers during the hearings. G.A.L. volunteers have supervisors who assist with the whole process of filing paperwork to get things done for the kids. There just aren't enough people in the system to help with all the volume those offices have; it's horrible. =/

    And thanks for the support for the book writing !
  • KimberlyKKimberlyK Alum Member
    217 karma
    Civil Rights/Constitutional law. I want to eradicate the racial disparities that pollute our criminal justice system. I plan on handling criminal defense of indigent clients for my heart, and wills and probate for my pocket book.
  • nicole.hopkinsnicole.hopkins Inactive Sage Inactive ⭐
    7965 karma
    @KimberlyK said:
    I plan on handling criminal defense of indigent clients for my heart, and wills and probate for my pocket book.
    Do you plan on getting a full scholarship with COL covered somewhere or working for Legal Aid etc. to get loan forgiveness after 10 years? Just curious about the economics of your plan; such things are possible but require strategy and sacrifice.
Sign In or Register to comment.